Apparatus for cooking and cooling in sealed receptacles



March 2 1926.

I N. H. FOOKS APPARATUS FOR COOKING AND COOLING IN SEALED RECEPTACLES Fi-led March 11, 1925 2 SheetsSheet 1 nazzvhazvawa M6072 Him/ w,

gwwmtoz March 2 1926.

" N. .H. FOOKS APPARATUS FOR cooxme AND COOLING IN SEALED REGEPTACLES Filed March 11 192 2 Sheets-5heet gwuamtoz atboz M110 Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFlCE.

NELSON H. rooxs, or PRESTON, MARYLAND.

Application filed March 11, 1925. Serial No. 14,805.

T0 at whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, NnLsoN I-I. Fooks, a citizen of the United States, residing at Preston, in the county of Caroline and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Cooking and Cooling in Sealed Receptacles; and 1 do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for cooking and cooling substances in sealed receptacles, and more particularly this invention relates to an apparatus adapted to cook and cool foods in-sealed receptacles by means of a single liquid medium,

The process in connection with which the apparatus herein described is particularly adapted for use is more fully described and claimed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 8,842. 7

The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the character inclicated of an improved and simplified character adapted particularly to economize space and increase the efliciency of the process.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts, as hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Two sheets of drawings accompany this specification as part thereof, in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout.

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross sectional view, largely diagrammatic.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view through an improved inlet nozzle.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view through an improved nozzle on the line indicated by 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the improved apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a plan of an upper sliding baffle plate.

Fig. 6 is a plan of a lower fixed baflle plate.

In accordance with the present invention, a suitable liquid container 1 is provided through which an endless conveyor 2 is arranged in association with guide pulleys 3 and can guides 4 to carry cans or similar sealed receptacles by way of a circuitous cated in Fig. 1 by the arrows.

VVit-hin the container 1 are positioned a .)lurality of vertically spaced heating units 3 which, as illustrated, may consist of a plurality of steam pipes 8 associated by headers 3, the heating units 3 being each independently controlled by a suitable valve 3". V The container is also provided with a plurality of outlet or overflow pipes 5, each of said overflow pipes communicating with the container at points adjacent but below one of the heating units 8. Each of the overflow pipes 5 is independently controlled by a suitable valve 5.

Intermediate each heating unit 3 and its corresponding overflow pipe 5 is a hori zontally disposed balile consisting of two horizontal plates 10 and 11.

The lower baflle plates 10 of each of these baflle units is fixed relativelyto the container and provided with a plurality of spaced orifices 99.- The upper plate 11 of each of the battle units is slidable upon the lower battle plate 10, and relatively totho container and each of these plates is pro vided with a suitable orifice 9, so that in operation the upper balfle plates 11 may be adjusted with respect to the lower bafile plates 10, either to bring the orifices 9 in the upper plate into register with one of the orifices 9 of the lower plate or to bring the orifice 9 in the upper plate above the portion intermediate the orifices in the lower plate, by means of which operations the baffles may be adjusted as desired to either constitute continuous closed battles or bafiles having orifices of greater or less extent, as may be desired, depending upon the relative relation of the orifices in the upper and lower plates.

This adjustment may be readily accomplished by sliding the upper baflle plates 11 as indicated which, for this purpose, are provided with rods 12, 12 which extend through theend of the container 1 through suitable pack glands 25 and terminate in suitable handles 13.

A suitable liquid, such as water, is supplied to the container adjacent its bottom by means of a plurality of supply pipes 7 each inde pendently controlled by a suitable valve 7'.

The supply pipes 7 are provided within the container with an improved distributing nozzle 8 which comprises a cup-shaped member 15 having a downwardly directed flange 17 surrounding a suitable orifice in its bottom, which flange 17 is adapted to be passed through a suitable orifice in the bottom of the container 1- and to receive a supply pipe 7. A nut 9 is provided to en gage the projecting end of flange 17 to secure the cup member 15.

A plurality of radially directed orifices 22 are provided in the side walls of the cup part 15 and a disk top 20 is provided adapted to be secured to the cup 15 by means of an interiorly threaded annular fiange 21. The disk top 20 substantially larger than the cup member 15 and provides an overhang Q3 surrounding the cup 15 adapted to operate as a baiiie and direct liquids passing outwardly through orifices 22 in a horizontal direction over the bottom of the container 1, by means of which vertical currents in the liquid are minimized.

In operation one or more of the heating units may be utilized as desired, depending upon the dept-h of the heated strata of the liquid desired.

As illustrated in the drawings, the lower most battle is shown closed and all of the heating units are shown in use.

ld ith this arrangement, the valve of the lowermost overflow pipe 5 is opened and the upper overflow pipe valves are closed.

Convection currents above the lowermost battle are relatively uninterrupted by reason of the fact that the orifices 9 of the baffies are in register, so that relatively little resistance to such currents is created. On the other hand, convection currents between the heated zone and the liquid below the lowermost bafiie are substantially eliminated by means of the lowermost bafiie which is closed, as illustrated.

reason of the superposed plate baliles, it will be apparent that the depth of the container may be relatively small and the conveyor ar 'anged in a compact manner, as illustrated, greatly economizing space.

By means of the improved nozzle structure described, vertical currents in the lower or cooling strata of the liquid are materially reduced.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a cooker and cooler comprising a liquid container, means for supplying heat to the container intermediate the top and bottom, means for supplying liquid to the container adjacent the bottom and means for restricting currents in the entering liquid to a substantially horizontal plane.

2. In a device of the character described, an improved liquid inlet nozzle comprising a chamber provided with a plurality of horizontally oisposed outlet orifices and a top extending horizontally beyond the chamber and over said orifices.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

NELSON'I-I. FOOKS. 

